Super Lice!
What They Are and How to Kill Them!
Super lice is spreading... Discover if you have super lice and how to kill them.
Question:
How do you tell the difference between regular head lice and Super Lice? What are Super Lice?
Answer from a Lice Expert:
If you find yourself stuck in the “never-ending lice cycle” then you probably are dealing with super lice. Super lice looks like this… You discover lice, you spend hours treating, nit-picking, house cleaning etc.
You think it’s gone for a few weeks…But, then it’s back again!
In this article let's talk about Super Lice and how to get rid of Super Lice!
Here are the topics covered in this article:
Let me introduce myself...
Hi there! I'm Theresa, I'm a lice expert, lice coach, and Registered Nurse. I help people with lice every day! You can get rid of lice in ONE DAY at home by using the same proven professional technique that I use in my lice center.
Just follow the step-by-step videos and be done with lice by the end of the day.
What is Super Lice?
Super lice is new strain of head lice spreading throughout the world. Basically, this type of head lice are stronger than the regular head lice of the past, so they can't be killed by traditional lice treatments.
Why don't traditional treatments work for Super Lice? Super lice have a genetic mutation that makes these lice and their lice eggs extremely resistant to over-the-counter products and prescription lice treatments. Treatments that were effective against lice 20+ years ago will simply not kill super lice. The super lice mutation is not visible to the eye, so these drug-resistant lice look the same as regular lice. However, if you have tried traditional lice treatments and the lice has returned quickly, then you are dealing with a super lice infestation.
How Common are Super Lice?
Super lice have become extremely common throughout the world. A recent study of lice in the United States testing 48 states (all except WV and AK) found that 98% of head lice were super lice.
What Does Super Lice Look Like?
Super lice look the same as regular lice in appearance and size. The defining characteristics of both super lice and regular lice are:
- Six legs attached to upper ⅓ of body, not to large abdomen
- No wings
- Tan to brown (often translucent) body, darker body as they get older and after they die
- Black stomach/intestines visible through translucent body (larger after feeding)
- Antennae
- Tapered/claw-like legs
Here is a picture that is not so close up so you can compare the lice bug to the size of a finger.
How To Know If You Have Super Lice?
If you have tried traditional lice treatments and your lice keeps coming back (or never goes away), you almost certainly have super lice.
That's what super lice is...lice that are immune or resistant to traditional lice treatments. Read more below.
How to Tackle Super Lice
Now that you have some baseline knowledge of super lice, lets start talking about the big problems caused by super lice and most importantly HOW TO GET RID OF IT!!!
Because Super Lice have become immune to everything that used to work in the past doing what your mom did isn't going to work for you. Perhaps you remember your mom using a typical lice treatment or mayonnaise and that doing the trick. The new strain of head lice is no longer killed by those treatments, that’s why lice today are termed, “super lice,” because they are immune to those treatments.
I’ve cured thousands of people of lice in my lice center and let me tell you, I don't do it with over-the-counter lice treatments, because most lice today are super lice and are immune to all over-the-counter treatments.
The other big problem with Super Lice is that their lice eggs (also known as nits) are significantly stronger that regular head lice's eggs. Lice treatments will NOT kill Super Lice Eggs.
How to Get Rid of Super Lice
If you have Super Lice then you WILL NOT be able to get rid of it with over the counter pesticide treatments. That's because both super lice bugs and super lice eggs are BOTH immune to those treatments.
If you want to get rid of super lice you have to address all 3 of the problems of lice:
- Lice Bugs
- Lice Eggs
- Getting Lice Back
The best way to get rid of super lice is to tackle all 3 of these problems at the same time, which is what I teach in my step-by-step video system.
So, if your child has lice (or super lice), don't panic. Just head over to the video system. Follow along with the videos and you'll be done with lice by the end of the day.
Are there Home Remedies for Super Lice?
There isn't a magical home remedy that will get rid of super lice. If you search the internet you'll find lots of people claiming all sorts of things. But, if you want the truth about home remedies then check out my article 37 Home Remedies the Good, the Bad, the Dangerous.
No home remedy is going to take care of your super lice problem. Even the very best home remedies only kill about 80% of lice bugs and home remedies will not kill any lice eggs, period. So if you were to go the home remedy route then you would need to RETREAT RETREAT RETREAT for WEEKS. Remember, if you do not kill the strongest lice bugs and remove all of the super lice eggs from your hair then you will go around and around with super lice.
I'm not completely opposed to home remedies, and they can work if you retreat and nit-pick for weeks on end, it's just not the best way to get rid of lice. The best way to get rid of lice is in one session – kill every bug and every last lice egg in one session. That's what lice professionals like myself do and that's what I teach you how to do with the step-by-step video system.
Are There Prescriptions for Super Lice?
Most prescription lice treatments use pesticides similar to the ones you’d find in over-the-counter treatments. They just have larger doses of the pesticides or you’re supposed to keep them on for longer periods of time.
Since super lice are resistant to pesticides, it doesn’t matter how high the dose or how long you leave them on. They won’t work to get rid of lice!
I would never waste time or money on a prescription lice treatment on my own children or recommend one to you for a few reasons;
- They don't work well most of them have very low stats for getting rid of head lice.
- Pesticides are toxic to humans, and prescription lice treatments are just the same pesticides in stronger doses. Increasing the dose and the time you leave pesticides on your child just means that more toxins are getting into your kiddos bloodstream (and not actually taking care of your lice problem, since super lice are immune to them).
Again, I don't recommend prescriptions for lice, because they don't work! What I recommend is the step-by-step video system which teaches you how to do a professional lice treatment at home.
How Do You Get Super Lice?
You can get super lice two different ways:
- Super lice can be created by using too many lice treatments (read below).
- Super lice can be spread to you by someone else (read below).
Too Many Lice Treatments = Super Lice
Super lice are created by using typical over-the-counter lice treatments on your child's head multiple times. Here's how it happens:
- The over the counter lice treatment kills the weakest lice on the head, but leaves the very strongest lice to survive.
- These very strong lice breed together and create super lice.
- Each time you re-treat with another over-the-counter treatment the same process happens and the lice become stronger.
Each ineffective lice treatment you try creates STRONGER SUPER LICE!
Super Lice Can Be Spread to You:
For most people, super lice were spread to them, they weren't created on your child's head. Super lice and regular lice are spread in the same way. At least 90% of head lice and super lice spread directly from one head to another, NOT from inanimate objects. Lice move effortlessly through hair, but struggle on most other surfaces.
Super lice don’t fly or jump like other insects, but they crawl very quickly in hair. They hang onto one hair strand and can quickly move to another.
When two people’s heads (and hair) touch, that’s when lice make their big move from one head to another.
Lice can be passed from inanimate objects as well, usually objects that are in contact with hair frequently, such as brushes, hair accessories, hats, jackets, and clothing.
How Do I Prevent Getting Super Lice?
#1 – Stop Making Lice Worse!
Every time you use an over-the-counter treatment on Super Lice it only makes them stronger! As explained above, typical treatments only kill the weakest lice on the head, but they make the stronger ones even stronger!
So, if you've already gone a few rounds with over-the-counter stuff then you are definitely dealing with super lice and using more of the treatments is only going to make your lice problem worse. Instead, check out my step-by-step video system, you won't use any lice products and pesticides and I'll teach you how to get rid of lice in one day the same way lice professionals do.
#2 – Basic Lice Prevention
Three main principles for lice prevention are:
- Avoid head to head contact, such as long hugs, sleeping in the same bed, putting your head on others’ shoulders, whispering in someone’s ear, looking at tablet/phones with heads touching, and selfies.
- Avoid sharing things that come in contact with hair, such as brushes, combs, hair accessories, hats, jackets, clothing, etc.
- Make your hair undesirable to lice by using a lice prevention spray or lice prevention shampoo every day.
These are only a few lice prevention strategies that are effective against super lice. For more, read our article 21 Lice Prevention Strategies Every Parent Should Know.
Summing It Up...
Super lice are lice that have a genetic mutation that makes them resistant to traditional lice treatments that have worked in the past. Studies show that 98-99% of lice today have this genetic mutation and are super lice. If you have used over-the-counter lice treatments and lice keeps coming back then you absolutely are dealing with super lice.
The fastest and most effective way to get rid of super lice is by doing a professional lice treatment on your child at home. You can learn do this kind of treatment by following along with the My Lice Advice step-by-step video system. Follow the videos and you'll be rid of super lice by the end of the day!
All the best!
Theresa is a Registered Nurse and lice expert with years of experience curing children of lice. She owns a lice treatment center in the US which is where she perfected the Step-by-Step Video System proven to get rid of lice. She also works with government agencies and schools helping those with the worst head lice cases in America.
Her greatest passion is empowering parents by teaching parents online how to do a professional lice treatment on their child at home. She is the Lice Coach for the My Lice Advice Step-by-Step Video System.
